Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2004
Album Summary
Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus is the thirteenth studio album by the Australian alternative rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released on 20 September 2004 on Mute Records. It is a double album of seventeen songs.
WikipediaA fun-sucker whose big ideas - as suggested by the title and horrifying run time of this one - are limited to the morbidly dramatic and lyrically mirthless. I didn't find a single line to grab on to. Occasionally the looming morbidity is effective - thuds reverberating in a tomb - but most of the time it feels like a 6-part documentary delivered entirley to camera by a single sad presenter. Docked a point for taking up so much of my life.
An amazing double album. So nice to remind myself of it’s greatness. Nick’s voice is incredible and the range of tracks, lyrics and vocals are second to none. I’ve previously heard ‘My Beautiful World’ described as the most perfect track ever recorded. It’s hard to argue against that.
I really like Nick but the last album of his I got was in the late 90s. This is really quite good. He starts out by kicking you in the teeth - I'd be disappointed if he didn't. The shift from the Abattoir to the Orpheus disc is hard to miss as the string of ballads floats out. I prefer that he did this rather than mix the ballads amongst the charged up tunes. It's reminiscent of the many Buddha Bar double CD releases that labelled one CD "dinner" and the other "dance". You might be in the mood for Nick's ballads one night so you can choose the disc that gives this. And if you're in the mood for a kick in the teeth, Disc 1 is waiting.
Split into two parts, a greatly enjoyable collection of songs. Favorites are Get Ready for Love, Hiding All Away, Breathless, Babe, You Turn Me On, Easy Money, Supernatually, Carry Me & O Children.
Interesting concept album. Fees evergreen style-wise; alt/classic rock feel, dark vocals. Hits hard but not too gritty.
ебааать, как охуенно... Это всё, чем Коэн должен был стать, обзаведясь полноценной электро-группой. Пока что, думаю, самый охуенный альбом из подборки. Причём он вообще не должен быть таким на бумаге. Ну типа это ебаный рак музыки — двойной альбом, при этом звук у всех инструментов почти всегда одинаковый, вокал тоже не шибко разнообразный, женские бэки одни и те же во всех треках. Но бля, как же идеально нащупана формула (к 13 альбому-то), что можно слушать полтора часа один и тот же звук и не уставать. Помимо Коэна сравнил бы с уже упомянутыми разок Swans, но только абсолютно лисенер-френдли (что немного абсурд, но я так чувствую), есть вот эта арт-энергия, но без песен по полчаса, балдеж же. Также, судя по всему, пластинка идёт в копилку альбомов, которые просто охуенно слушать, бродя по ночному городу (наряду с, например, You'd Prefer an Astronaut от Hum и Le troisième choix от Agora Fidelio). Вообще у меня создалась такая концепция альбома, что он начинается как будто вечером, проходит через фазу ночи и примерно в начале второго диска перетекает в утро, но всё-таки последние песни (особенно божественные Easy Money и Supernaturally) немного сбивают впечатление. Хз даже, что ещё говорить, оче мощная работа (хотя, конечно, под настроение). Ник Кейв в принципе был одним из исполнителей, ради которого я пошёл на этот эксперимент с альбомами, так как ранее его работ не слышал (только Джанкъярд мельком), и это был отличный повод. Ну хули, сыграла ставочка. 10/10
Wow. The first time I've ever really connected with him. Tastefully loud, full of energy perfectly arranged, beautiful harmonies, very weird but very cool lyrics. It's all beginning to make sense.
Wow! Wasn't sure on first hearing, but by the third play I was hooked. Well worth investing some time into this. Almost avant-garde but still proper musicality. Brilliant.
Im currently convinced that Nick Cave can do no wrong. Im always amazed by his ability to create powerful moods with his music.
I love music that feels raw and passionate. There's such a draw to stuff like Amy Winehouse's black album or Adele's 19 or even some Johnny Cash where you can feel the pain the artist brings from their real life into the song. I'm not going to find myself singing any of these songs while doing the dishes, but listening to songs 2-4 is an experience you can feel in your soul. Music like this demands that you turn it up, close your eyes, and imagine yourself in a dark living room clutching a rocks glass of bourbon on the last night of your life. It's perfect for solo listening through headphones at volumes that will permanently damage your hearing. And you should, you should feel permanently damaged by this passion behind dark and brooding music.
This was really unexpected (and I found to be quite unique). Sort of reminds me of Xiu Xiu, but less despair. While it's not my favourite, I highly recommend giving it a listen, and for that alone, I'm rating it a 5.
Glorious, melodramatic, soaked in all kinds of gospel, from the euphoric to the hellfire & brimstone. Fave Track - "O Children", though I resent Harry Potter using it in the soundtrack 😠
No puedo escribir mucho de este álbum, sino que creo que es hermoso, en varios sentidos, de principio a fin (hablo de los dos discos). La voz de Nick Cave siempre me ha parecido fabulosa y aquí hay tantos moods, pero con una especie de cohesión. Mis favoritas diría que son "Hiding All Away", "Abattoir Blues", "Let the Bells Ring" y "O Children". Me hace falta escucharlo más y con más atención para cachar más de las letras. 10/10
Another artist I’d been meaning to check out for years. I was way more into this than I was expecting. I like how each “disc” has its own distinct feel.
Not only is this the first time I got an artist twice, but in the same week too! And I'm a big Nick Cave fan so this is perfect. Another really great album
I had heard O’Children before, but damn Nick Cave is pretty awesome. 5/5
pretty good I have to say, it's a bit hard to listen to but in a good way. It's like one of those parties that make you uncomfortable cause everyone is doing drugs and making out, but its also very very interesting, and everyone is open and accepting.
Hard to categorize. Old fashioned. It’s like gospel for disaffected atheists and agnostics. Nick Cave has amazing voice. Makes monotone sound interesting. GREAT lyrics. “I dunno what art is, but I know what I like. And I like this.”
Amazing production depth, with gospel tinged backing vocals and guitars at the fore, and drums quite in the background. Nick has an uncanny ability to change gears on the feel mid flight, like when that chorus kicks in on "There She Goes, My Beautiful World". AndRIP Conway - nice to hear you twinkling the ivories in there.
A stunning album - I was bowled over. I was expecting a maudlin, moody, introspective album of ballads and whilst there is a bit of that on the second side, this is an energetic, toe tapping, bluesy record which sounds fantastic - like they are being chased by demons and have to get this music out fast! The gospel backing is wonderful and the band just sounds phenomenal jamming together. I think it’s a five star album. A classic.
Love it! This was actually my first Nick Cave & Bad Seeds record. This is a classic in my book. I forget how good this record is from time to time but it's so great from top to bottom. Glad it made the list.
I was skeptic on Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, but after listening to this album I’m pleasantly surprised: there are some great songs (There she goes, Lyre of Orpheus, Hiding all Away, Carry me) and the general level of this album is very high. Happy that I took the time to listen to this album, although I dread Nick’s songwriting on Ghosteen.
Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Get ready for love, Cannibal’s hymn, There she goes, my beautiful world, Carry me, O children
The debate is whether to award this four or five stars. Yes, that requires explanation. Here, we have a double album, or perhaps more accurately two albums in one package. The first, Abattoir Blues, despite the Grand Guignol name, is a full-blooded rock 'n roll, bluesy stomp of a record. The first album also benefits from an uncommon quality in rock: it's got a sense of humour. The opener Get Ready For Love raucously juxtaposes Christian expression with rockstar strutting. Hiding All Away has the very chucklesome verse: You searched through all my poets From Sappho through to Auden I saw the book fall from your hands As you slowly died of boredom The worst fault you could say about the first album is that there are touches of filler (Nature Boy, the first single, didn't really raise my skirt), but that smacks of nitpicking. The second album, The Lyre of Orpheus, is a softer, more delicate work, with more acoustic numbers, but of equally high quality as the first. Whereas the first invigorates, the second beguiles. Indeed, the second's stock consists of sincere, sometimes plaintive, sometimes jaunty love songs (the video to Breathless has Nick Cave dancing with cartoon toy rabbits). And again, the nitpick is over the occasional track being somewhat fillersome. So what does this mean in the final summary? Are these albums to be assessed as two great albums in a twofer? Two great single works that don't really fuse together? A quintessential case of a double album missing true greatness by a cat's pube just out of its overlong nature? Fuck it, I'll be generous. Five stars it is. (And yes, the star system for rating anything is moronic, especially stars).
Powerful and sentimental. This has by far become my favorite Nick Cave project. The choir, the strings, Nicks singing, the perfect playing, everything works so well to creature this dramatical and emotional piece. Highy recommended!
18th November 2021 Started on the way to meeting Harry in Covent Garden before seeing a show at the donmar (rubbish) finished on Saturday on the way to meet sav for golf in battersea Park. This is sumptuous. Dark, gothic, gospel, bluesy, unbelievable. Nick cave has an ability to stretch his music through time, it sounds like something that ancient Greeks would have listened to.
Great album. Abattoir Blues is slightly better part than The Lyre of Orpheus.
Nick Cave knows how to deliver, I’ve heard The Boatman’s Call, No More Shall We Part, and now this gem of an album it was a lot more upbeat than I expected, the other two were kinda slow and sweet all three of these albums are 10/10 tho I really love this guy, he has such a sweet sound, I can’t wait to hear more of his stuff
I already listen to about Nick Cave, but I never got the hype on his work and never understood why he is so appreciated. From now on, this album made my mind and I got everything. It's so strong and powerful that I understood exactly all the hype around. I'll keep my radar open for Nick Cave now and I'll also recommend it to everyone. The second part of the album is a little bit repetitive and too much longer for a perfect record, but the first part compensates for any possible "error".
Such a great album. My favorite of his musically. Of course Cave's lyrical magic is here as usual and this time the music is just as magical. The songs are accessible with loads of hooks and some of his most memorable melodies. This is the album that could make a fan of a no -fan. 5 🌟
Largely brilliant, veering from deranged gospel to sensitive ballads, all dripping with personality and menace. When it works it's amazing, just as with most double albums, no matter how good they are they tend to drag on and overstay their welcome. I'm left thinking it could have been one of the great single albums, but I'm not quite sure what should have been left out.
Abattoir Blues sits on The Lyre of Orpheus like a chair, but it's a very nice chair. An albums (?) that I'll be going back to.
An album of two halves. The first half is back-to-back bangers. The second more moody/reflective/Cave-like. Ends on a cracking high. The best of the Bad Seeds so far.
One of the best albums ever made and the showcase of everything Nick Cave has to over.
I wasn't impressed with the first song, but as I kept listening the album really grew on me. It's very tight and the lyrics are poetic. The performance is dramatic and very enjoyable. By the end of the album, I loved it.
L'album le plus sous-côté de Nick Cave Prefs: Cannibal's Hymn, There She Goes, My Beautiful World, Nature Boy, Abattoir Blues, The Lyre of Orpheus, Breathless, Supernaturally, O Children Moins pref: Fable of the Brown Ape
Great upbeat background music that you suddenly find yourself dancing and singing to. Full sound with choir. Great album. High quality.
Nick Cave continues to be the vampire bandleader we need, and not the vampire bandleader we deserve. This whole double album is stellar. I liked it more than Murder Ballads. Not every song is a classic, but if I gave MB a 4, then I guess this one's a 5. Nearly 500 albums in my rating system is all fucked up. But I'm happy to be here with my vampire friend.
This time I am giving it five stars because I really like it, and not just because I respect the artist's work too much to take any stars from it. But I also truly respect the work to put this album together. What a blast.
Nick Cave is a name I've heard a lot and I've never heard a single song. I also saw just last weekend, he lost his 2nd son which is very tragic. Going in I had no idea what to expect, but I was thinking it would be kind of an Indie/Alternative type album. He's more of a crooner, with a strong backing band in the Bad Seeds. The cacaphony of sound that comes up in quite a few songs, aggressive instrumentals behind a baritone voice, it all comes together really well. I really liked this, I didn't add anything to the playlist since it's a bit intense but I would definitely revisit and check more of his discography.
I sure enjoyed this album. I actually listened to it twice and paid more attention to the lyrics on the second listen. I feel like I went to church, attended a protest, had a reality check (especially with the song that had the frappuccino line). I'm glad to be reminded of Nick Cave because I really haven't listened to him much although I knew him from the theme song on Peaky Blinders. I'm definitely going to listen to the rest of his albums. I also really like the vocals with the choir.
Absolute beauty - I have a lovely special edition of this in a decorative sleeve
a big fan of Nick Cave this is one of my fave albums and probably the only successful double album I've encountered on this book/app thang so far. I've got it on cd one is pink the other yellow. Nick takes us to hell and back again, in what is quite an expansive album. What I love about Nick is his storytelling, so visceral and compelling. weirdly I sometimes don't think of it as music, but more poetry stories put to music, but that's wrong they are integral to both. and each song is a story, from the menancing fable and lyre of orpheus to the majestic beautiful world. The songs explore finite and nuanced worlds with humour, darkness and pathos in equal measure. The music acts as the driving force for these stories, weird instruments and driving guitars create a sound that simple yet complicated, discordant yet melodic. like Nick Cave its contradictions that makes it so wonderful.
Never heard a Nick Cave album before but I enjoyed the fusion of raucous and menacing instrumental backing mixed with gospel tinged backing vocals. He's not the greatest singer but he knows his range and his gruff style suits the shady material on this dense, well produced album. Lyrics are forebodingly romantic. The music on the latter disc is a much more subtle, mellow affair. All in all, it's a solid double album of two sides and a very enjoyable record.
Very much a toe dipper in the world of Nick Cave, I like what I hear but not delved into the albums. So why not start with a double album, yeah. First track is surprisingly raucous, though I know he's got that side clearly, Birthday Party, Grinderman. And it's great. Few tracks in, loving the vibe. Oh my god, There She Goes my Beautiful World, how have I never heard this before, this is fuckin ace. Nature Boy I have heard and it's fabulous. This is so great. Second half sounds different but still has some bangers, Spell being the most obvious, just wonderful. So at the end of it, happily knew several tracks so I've not been totally missing out, but what a great, warm album, altogether. Going on the list.
Kan ik ook 6 sterren geven? Dit is echt mijn favoriete Nick Cave plaat, en zelfs een van de beste albums die ik ken. Staat geen slecht nummer op, en dat voor een dubbel-album. Fantastisch!
Dit is de reden dat ik elke dag benieuwd ben naar een nieuw plaatje: Geweldig dubbel album van Nick Cave. Ik kende alleen Let love in, maar deze is misschien nog wel beter.
This is a joy to listen to, all the more because I have not heard much Nick Cave previously. Such a strong set of songs, instantly memorable, diverse, intelligent intriguing lyrics, superbly backed up by the music. I will definitely be buying some Nick Cave vinyl!
My favourite Nick Cave album. Gorgeous song after gorgeous song. Beautiful melodies, tastefully simple near perfect arrangements including backing vocals. And of course Nick Cave's beautiful lyrics. 5 🌟
I’m a fan. Dark and brooding but somehow euphoric uplifting and catchy. I’m glad this project made me listen to this, I wouldn’t have done without being encouraged.
After enduring The Birthday Party and Murder Songs, Nick Cave is not an artist I wanted to listen to again. A DOUBLE ALBUM to have to listen to this time is not welcome news. Turns out that I do not loathe this, in fact I think I love it! These songs rock with interesting lyrics and great backing vocals. Some of the love songs are surprisingly tender - hadn’t expected that. The two albums are distinct - I love the rock and roll first album and the gospel feel of the second. Really nice combination. I keep wanting to give this a 4 because of the traumas of past albums. But if I disregard the terrible taste left in my ears from the previous two Nick Cave albums this double album is a 5!
At 83 minutes, this double album didn't leave a lot of time for multiple listens but my response to my first listen is Wow! This is epic! I love the addition of the female backing vocals, which help provide a gospel church atmosphere. Again, it's a long album and I had so many thoughts and feelings that I can't recall many of the specifics. But overall I really enjoyed this.
I'd listened to a bit of Nick Cave before (Red Right Hand, Stagger Lee), but not a whole lot. I am a fan now. Really good album.
Sometimes bands that I’m not familiar with get a little old for an entire album all at once. But this was the opposite; the longer I listened the more I wanted to hear more. And that’s really incredible for a double album! As a matter of fact, this is really like two very different albums. The first is rock, and the second is somehow even more moody. They’re both great, but I’m partial to the second one by far.
Nick Cave has consistently been one of the most brilliant artists of the last 40 years. Very few musicians, if any, are hitting creative high water marks like this so deep into their careers. An absolute masterpiece within a career of masterpieces.
so this is the nick cave that deserves all the plaudits. i had formed the impression that grinderman was a complete volte face for nick and everything prior was poetry over drab music, but this has some balls. the downside is it's a bit long, but i'll let it off because i'm nice like that.
It's a two part album but really well combined. Every song is a complete experience but all combined is even better, the only issue I could find is that the album is long, however it is great.
semmone ralli... joo oli erittäin hyviä biisejä suurimmalta osalta mutta muutama vie kyllä alas mutta viekö kovin alas en tiiä nick, nick poika osaa kyllä musiikkia tehdä oli aika rattoisa albumi vähän enemmäön oisi voinut sitä bluessia olla kun keran piti laittaa albumin nimeenkin juu tiiedän että tota on vaan biisin nimi mutta ei se kä clickbait clickbait clickbait hiding all away
Most of the Nick Cave songs I’ve heard were slow ballads and I was expecting the same. I think that’s why I never really clicked with his stuff. But this album (well, the first half) is full of bluesy rock, one of my favourite genres. As a proud 🇦🇺 I can’t believe I hadn’t heard this album.
Tää lienee eka NC levy joka on kolahtanut mulla. Toimi siis aikoinaan sisäänheittäjänä jonka avuin ylipäätään päädyin kuuntelemaan koko artistia. Easy Money oli varmaan ekoja lempparibiisejä tältä levyltä. Itse levy on hieno, mutta sitä kannattaa lähestyä kahtena eri näytöksenä maratoonaamisen sijasta. Kaunista ja rumaa samaan aikaan. Tekstit on onnostuneita sekä pitää otteessaa vielä melkeen kahden vuosikymmenen jälkeen. Erinomaista. Taidan omistaa bootleg-vinyylinä 4,5/5 pyöristynee ylös
Very hard decision but let me go for full marks because of the unbelievable variety and yet consistency of this album.
This is an old friend. The first Nick Cave album I brought, not my entry, but when I properly started to get his work it took me a while, but fell in love with this. It's a warm and comfy place of dark discomforts.
I've been wanting to get into Nick Cave for a while now, and now I've finally got an excuse. This album is just fantastic, but I will concede that the second disc drags a little bit, although for a double album the pacing is surprisingly good. A great entry point into a fascinating artist
17 songs recorded in 12 days. You'd think it might be a bit rough or unfinished, but this is a supremely polished effort. The album opens with pure fire and finishes with a singalong. Rhythm section is tight, there's some lovely bass playing that just ties everything down. The first side is blues based but not at all by-the-book standard blues, there's gospel and grunge and everything else mixed in. Side 2 is a far more mellow and beautiful set of songs. Masterpiece. I have this in my collection but had forgotten how good it is.
most of the songs here are individually really good (i like the gospel influences a lot) but as a whole this album is in a really weird place. it's too disjointed to really flow well at all, but it's too homogenous to use that as a strength (there's not that much difference between abattoir blues and the lyre besides one having electric guitar and one not). it doesnt help that its like 80 minutes long when all the progression is so disjointed. also theres enough albums that arent quite as good as the rest, or just have mediocre sections in them i cant give this anywhere near a bad score and maybe it just wasnt clicking hard enough but i cant help but feel like there was a better album here somewhere. w/e its still good just maybe not all at once
Pretty long (it is a double album). Love the choral elements, Nick's voice works wonderfully with the sound of a full choir. Can be a little repetitive, but gives me the feeling of gospel music at times. 3.5 stars. Favorite tracks: "Hiding All Away", "Supernaturally", "Carry Me", "O Children"
A double album that could (should?) have been a single album. I really enjoyed the songs with the backing choir. Best track: There She Goes, My Beautiful World
An unexpected banger, I love the bass on this album, and of course the lyrics have been amazing. Standouts are Get Ready For Love, Hidden Away, Breathless, and O Children
Very strong as double albums go. Glad to have heard Breathless for the first time in a long time
Much more rock based than the others of his that I’ve heard. Liked this a lot
He did not have to go so hard on There she goes🔥🔥; slow burn until Abattoir where it finds its stride. Title tracks great, good listen.